Free the Enslaved
by crazypandagirl
Summary: A one-shot of the daughter of Valka Haddock changing the lives of Hiccup, Eret, and all of Berk. She sees most of the human race as the beasts rather than the dragons she calls her family, especially after witnessing Valka's murder at the tender age of ten. When the Alpha sends her to free the enslaved dragons, she frees Hiccup from the restraints of Berk, as she once did for Eret.


I glare down at the village from atop Cloud Jumper, his rider for the past three years since Mom was murdered by Eret's trappers before he could stop them. She was right about Vikings, they just want to kill the dragons, and don't try to think of what may cause the raids. One much like the one I now watch from my perch in the dark morning sky.

I watch one small boy, a year or so older than me and far thinner and shorter than any other in the village, run through the burning village, and growl lowly, shifting my balance so that we can enter the fray. My dragon uncle-figure roars, a shrill sound that catches the attention of both dragons and Vikings alike as we swoop down over the village plaza, and I leap from his back.

I pull Mom's staff from its place on my cloaked back and swing it around, before slamming it into the ground, and the dragons calm, releasing what food they've gathered and circle around me, bowing ever so slightly. A moment of silence from both sides of this pointless war, I raise the staff again, shaking it slightly to rattle just enough so Cloud Jumper comes to land gently behind me.

"Who are you?" the boy asks, eyes wide as he stares at me.

I chuckle as I rise, keeping a hand on the precious staff. By rising, I reveal my outfit to be a split long skirt of fur and worn leggings underneath, a tunic so worn holes have begun to form over my stomach, and a cloak of dragon scales from the great Bewilderbeast himself. "I am my mother's daughter, a simple girl trying to fulfill her mother's dying wish," I answer in a hoarse whisper, unused to speaking a human language ever since losing Mom.

"Who is your mother?" the man who yelled at the boy, a great redheaded man I can only assume to be the chief, growls, holding his hammer tightly, ready to fight.

I give a smile hidden behind the scarf around my neck and covering my lips and nose. "A woman who believed the killing would only make the war worse." I turn to Cloud Jumper, who bows just enough for me to jump onto his back. _"Let's free the captives and go home, my friends,"_ I growl to the dragons around us, who growl and take flight.

"Wait!" the boy calls as we prepare to join the new members of our flock. "Who are you?"

I look back down to him, and then look to the redheaded man, seeing their shared eyes, ones that Mom once said I shared with my elder brother and father, and gasp, falling off Cloud Jumper at the memory. _"They smell much like you, Asta,"_ Cloud Jumper suddenly informs me, wrapping his larger left wing around me protectively.

"You!" the man, Stoick, suddenly roars, glaring at my guardian. "You're the devil who stole my wife!" He begins to charge at us, weapon raised.

I rise and raise the staff against him. "Stop!" I shout at him, and he somehow listens. "I understand your pain, but it isn't like you think it is. He thought he was protecting her when he took us, with the house on fire and you wielding a weapon so closely to her. What else was he to think other than you were going to harm her?"

"Us?" the boy, my brother Hiccup, asks curiously.

With a shaking hand, I lower my hood, and pull down the scarf. Stoick gasps and drops his weapon. "She wasn't alone that night, she just didn't know it. But Cloud Jumper could smell my existence the minute she entered the house."

Stoick, eyes wide, approaches me slowly, as if I'll run at any moment, but I know I won't. "Asta?" he breathes, raising a hand to my cheek. I blink up at him, and remember Mom saying he wanted that to be the name of a daughter, should they ever have one. I nod carefully, and he wraps me in his arms so carefully, as though I'll break. "Odin, I have a daughter," he breathes harshly, before turning to Hiccup. "Son, come meet your sister, Asta," he calls over the older boy.

Hiccup's eyes light up, and he runs over, hugging me tightly and laughing a bit. "Gods, I have a sister!" he cries out with joy.

I wrap my arms around Hiccup rather than our father, and bury my face in his soft fur vest.

With the dragons gone, many of the Vikings realize what is happening, and applause fills the predawn air as they acknowledge my status as the daughter of their Chief.

I stare at Stoick in astonishment. "I'm not here because of you being my blood, I came here because of the war," I inform him, stopping his rambling about making up a room for me in his house. "And I already have a home."

Hiccup looks between the two of us as Stoick's face reddens slightly. "Why would the war bring you here?" he asks as our father remains silent.

I turn to face my brother rather than father. "Mom told me about what Berk is like when I was ten, a month before she died. She said that if she ever got the chance, she would come back with me and stop the fight. When she was gone, I asked the Alpha of our nest to tell me why there would be such a war lasting over three hundred years, and he could only guess that a Queen would be forcing her will upon the dragons so they would hunt for her. Now that I'm fourteen, he sent the two of us to begin to send the enslaved to our nest to recover from her tyranny."

"You are but a child!" Stoick growls. "Surely this beast knows he is sending you to your death?"

I glare at the chief, and he shrinks back. "I've grown up among the dragons, and I see only my own kind as the beasts, not the dragons." I look back to Hiccup, softening slightly. "Besides, I won't be here long. I've a hunt to finish after taking care of this nest." I rise from my seat. "The alpha expects my return in three weeks. I need only three things from you and your tribe, Chief Stoick the Vast."

"Name it," he orders me quietly.

"Your assurance of our safety as long as we stay," I start, and he nods easily enough. "Your promise not to kill dragons while we are here so that I may send them away." At this he reluctantly nods. "Teach me to fight humans."

"What? Fight humans?" Hiccup asks in astonishment. "Why?"

I give him a sad look. "Mom didn't have the chance to teach me much, and Eret knows mostly about wrestling dragons, so my only chance lies with Berk." I stare into the crackling fire. "She was murdered before my eyes, and I could do nothing. Eret didn't know until it was too late to stop his crew, paid to ensure he never knew of their orders, so he defected and helps as much as he can to make it up to me."

"Who ordered Valka's death?" Stoick asks quietly.

"Drago Bludvist. Thankfully, he has no idea of my existence, so I have the chance to prepare to fight him, to avenge her," I answer quietly, before looking at my father. "I need to do this, and if I die avenging her then so be it."

He breathes heavily, before nodding. "We begin in the morning."

Hiccup stands beside me in the center of the dragon training arena, before I nod and he walks away to start his day at the forge.

I look up to meet my father's eyes, and nod. "We will start by seeing how well you can fight now." He informs me, before charging with a piercing war cry.

I raise my staff against him and block his swing effortlessly, before twirling around and delivering a strong hit to his stomach, winding him slightly.

Several nights after my arrival, another raid wakes the village. I waste no time in grabbing my staff and running from the house, ignoring my boots in favor of stopping the fight before it begins.

A high pitched whistle fills the air, and I gasp in recognition. "TOOTHLESS, DON'T YOU DARE!" I scream, and the sound ends without a blast, but the dragon himself landing before me, pupils dilated and teeth sheathed as he bows before me. "Toothless, is this where you've been for so long?" I ask quietly, and he nods with a whimper. "Come on, let's stop this, together," I offer, and he kneels, allowing for me to climb onto his back and takes off with me standing between his shoulders.

I take a deep breath and begin to twirl the staff, hitting it repeatedly with my palm to produce a rattle, quickly gaining the attention of the poor dragons unknowingly attacking the village. Picking up the speed of the twirling, I no longer hit the staff, and produce a whistle with the speed, calming them and releasing the hold of the Queen slowly as I pass on the message of the Alpha.

The invading dragons leave as I point my staff to the north, ending the dance with a rattle to direct them to the Sanctuary Nest. As the last of them leave, Toothless lowers us to the ground, coincidentally right in front of the forge, and a dozen frightened, armed Vikings.

Hiccup comes from the forge at a light run and stops suddenly, staring curiously at the dragon I slowly step off of before he curls around me protectively. "Is that… a Night Fury?" he asks in excitement.

I give him a soft smile as Toothless warbles in curiosity. "Yes, one of the last of his kind. Mom found him abandoned in the forest an island away from the nest soon after she arrived, and we grew up together, as brother and sister." I get a gummy smile and a whine of excitement. "Come and meet him, Hiccup."

As I expected, they bonded immediately, and adore each other right from the beginning.

"When you go back to the nest, can I come with you?" Hiccup asks after another flying lesson three days before I plan to leave. We're resting at the cliff overlooking the docks, watching the sunset with our dragons curled up around us.

I look at him carefully, and slowly nod. "Only if Stoick says you may."

Hiccup sighs. "Why don't you call him Dad?" he asks quietly, as though hoping I won't hear.

"I've only known the Alpha as a father figure, and call him Dad most of the time. I also don't know Stoick enough, nor do I fully trust him because of his hatred for dragons," I answer just as quietly, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my head on them. "I also don't want to get too attached, just in case."

He blinks at the answer, and sets his shoulders after a moment. "When you go to fight the Queen, let me fight with you," he shocks me with his request.

The fight ends with only the death of the Queen, the Alpha only needing minor assistance from my dragon family and human brother. When I try to talk Hiccup into returning to Berk, he refuses in favor of returning to the Sanctuary with me. I don't question it, but I feel it may have something to do with the way I've seen him treated so lowly by the village, and carelessly by our father.

Yes, it may be better that he went with us after the fight. Let Stoick believe what he wants, but it's my turn to know Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Five years after returning from fighting the Queen, Drago finally arrives at the Sanctuary, and I finally don Mom's armor, in order to honor her and be with her for this one fight. Hiccup flies out on Toothless wearing his dragon scale armor, pitch black to blend in almost flawlessly with Toothless.

The Alpha emerges with Cloud Jumper and I fly away from him, searching out Drago as Eret rides Storm, his black and white scaled Nadder, leading the dragons into the fight to destroy the traps. A net brings us down before I can cut it away, and I leap from my uncle's back as soon as we crash. Fortunately, I fall right before the one I've been searching for the past nearly nine years.

"Drago Bludvist," I growl to myself, Mom's mask hiding what I say.

"You died years ago!" he growls, raising his bullhook in preparation to fight. "I ordered you dead! How are you alive?!" he screams, even as he charges me.

I twirl out of the way, and hit him in the back with my staff, one Hiccup made for me a year ago so we could retire Mom's staff at last. This one is made of Gronkle Iron, hollowed out and sharpened on one end to be an extended and removable flaming sword, the other end a double headed axe, the edges coated in Nightmare saliva to cut through almost anything like butter.

I knock away his metal arm after dodging and striking at him repeatedly, his own weapon only barely hitting me. His eyes fill with fear as I sweep his feet from under him, and plunge the sword end of the spear into his chest, pinning him to the ground with a flaming blade through his heart.

In his last seconds of life, I remove Mom's helmet. "You did kill her. I am Asta Valka Haddock, daughter of Valka Haddock and Chief Stoick the Vast of Berk, sister to Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. I kill you, and allow a great woman to rest in peace at last," I inform him acidly, spitting as he breathes his last.

The remaining soldiers stop fighting the dragons, throwing down their weapons and shields. I look closely around, and notice familiar faces among those still holding weapons, but against the soldiers surrendering rather than the dragons who stand tall behind them. I quickly replace the helmet, and approach them after retrieving my weapon and freeing Cloud Jumper, who flies off with Toothless onto an ice spike overlooking the surrendering army.

Hiccup, unrecognizable as he is now that he's grown both in height and muscle with a mask that only reveals some of his hair and our matching eyes, joins me as we approach the Vikings of Berk, Stoick and Gobber being the first to notice us.

"Who are you?" he asks carefully, eyes wide with shock and hope.

"It matters not, Stoick the Vast," I answer evenly, staring them down with some amount of scorn.

"Leave this place," Hiccup orders from my side. "Vikings are unwelcome here."

Eret approaches my other side, a graze on his arm crusted over with dried blood, as Stoick shakes his head. "We come searching for my children," he protests. "They vanished five years ago after we learned of my daughter, and-"

"And nothing, Viking," Eret growls, causing many of the Berkians to back away at the venom in his voice. "They are no longer your concern. They are happier away from you and your type."

Snotlout, our obnoxious cousin, sneers at us. "What are you hiding behind those masks? You afraid of something?"

I stiffen at that, and sigh, trading a hidden look with Hiccup, who just nods tiredly. I watch as he slowly removes his helmet, earning gasps of surprise, before I remove Mom's once again, looking over everyone tiredly before walking off to the Alpha, Eret and Hiccup at my side as we climb onto his tusk before he lifts us to the ledge leading into our kitchen.

I step away from my brother and our friend, going into my cave quietly to remove Mom's armor for the last time, replacing it with a soft wool shirt and long deerskin skirt and fur-lined boots. I slowly carry the armor from my room, walking through the labyrinth of the nest before I reach the icy tomb around Mom's grave. I enter through the small crack and find the hole I recently dug still as empty as it is meant to be until now. I lay out the armor in her form, careful to not damage it any further, before I press a kiss to the helmet one last time.

"Now you may be at peace in Valhalla, Mom. Wait for me there, will you?" I whisper softly, letting a single tear fall before I push the dirt back into place over the armor, now resting beside her body in the earth.

When I emerge, my brother and Eret are waiting for me, and I offer a sad smile as we return to our caves to rest.

I can't sleep after the events of today, even though I've finally avenged Mom, and laid the last of her to rest, so I rise and go to Hiccup's cave, only to find him just as awake and restless as I find myself. He lifts the edge of his blanket, and I don't hesitate to join him and rest my head on his bare shoulder. He runs soothing circles into my back, occasionally running his fingers through my hair as I've found he enjoys almost as much as I do. I close my eyes in content, and sleep finds me soon after.

I watch from the night sky once more, but rather than viewing the old war between Vikings and Dragons, I merely watch as one of the dragons strolls through the village, limping, before it's owner throws a hammer at its injured paw, drawing a pained screech from the Nightmare.

Toothless and Hiccup, hovering over Berk to my right as Eret and Shade do on my left, look over to me as if asking permission. I nod slowly, and they fall into a silent dive before the tell-tale whistle of the Night Fury cuts through the echoing silence of the night.

The owner barely has time to scream before he's dead, burnt to ashes between one second and the next. Vikings pour from their homes, unhealthy dragons following slowly, eyes half-lidded and bodies far thinner than they should be. Hiccup returns to his place on my right, and as one the three of us on the backs of dragons lift ceramic pots filled with nightmare saliva.

"You were warned, villagers of Berk, never to harm another dragon," Eret calls in fury. "Now you pay for it all!"

We swoop down, pouring just a bit of the saliva on each house but that of Elder Gothi, whose flock of Terrible Terrors might be a bit overweight, and for her continued respect for the dragons. We also leave the house of the Chief alone, knowing it holds something of Mom within that I won't risk being lost. The swarm of Terrors we brought along with us swoop down on each home, quickly lighting each one as the enslaved dragons flee from their panicked owners, headed North to home.

"WHY?!" Stoick screams up at us.

I glare down at him as Hiccup growls, "You were warned, and now your people pay the price. No dragon will ever again haunt this cursed island."

Elder Gothi walks into the plaza, her dragons each carrying a small bag filled with her belongings. Without a word to Cloud Jumper, he lands before her, and I attach the bags to the harness around his torso, and help the Elder onto his back. With one last glare at my father, I nod to my brother and lover, and we leave the island for the last time.

Why would we return if there no dragons to protect?

I lay between my brother and our lover in our bed, their arms wrapped around me in such a warm embrace. I know it shoulde be wrong, that I would be with my own brother in such a way, we were friends when we met, but never like relatives, and grew so close it only seemed normal. I love them both with all I am, and I feel so blessed to be with them in such a way, to be able to carry one of their children.

Elder Gothi even gave us her blessing, understanding us in a way I know the rest of the world would never be able to, would condemn and shun us.

I sleep with a smile on my lips.


End file.
